REPUBLIC CROATIA - REPUBLIC OF IRELAND JOINT EDITION, Rijeka

Rijeka Although it may seem otherwise, cities actually do not have borders. The roads of Rijeka - both the physical ones and, more importantly, the metaphorical ones - lead towards the outskirts, where they merge with the natural environment. Located in the Kvarner Gulf in the Adriatic Sea, Rijeka is the main marine port in Croatia, as well as the economic, administrative and cultural centre of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. It is a city often overlooked by tourists in search for a magical vacation under the Adriatic sun, who often stay at romantic historic hotels and villas in Opatija or enjoy the natural beauties of nearby islands. The visitors who, sometimes intentionally, but more often accidentally, find themselves in Rijeka, are astonished by the complexity of this post-industrial city, which, due to its strategic position, was a site of fierce conflicts between various forces throughout the history. Rijeka has been burdened by traumatic historical events. It is a divided city formed by force and migration, both voluntary and involuntary. Rijeka lies in a geographic area the borders of which were constantly changed and redefined, causing various politically sensitive situations in the past. If anyone knows anything about those situations, it is the citizens of Rijeka, who were governed by as many as nine different countries in the 20th century alone. Such circumstances have produced a state of mind incorporating typical European values, such as multilingualism and tolerance, acceptance of diversity as a common good, focus on the things that unite us and cooperation. To all of this, there is only one appropriate answer - culture. Rijeka strives to overcome its own misconceptions and narratives labelling it as a well-developed port and a promising industrial city. The fact is, the city that matches this image does not exist anymore. The city of Rijeka that reflects this idea vanished at the end of the last century, together with many lost jobs, leaving only abandoned industrial halls, smokestacks and facilities behind. The vast and epochal industrial heritage of Rijeka has defined the city and its citizens. The energy of 23,000 students of the ambitious University of Rijeka, the innovativeness of creative industries and the 2020 European Capital of Culture title represent the foundation for building a new future for our city. Borders are exciting. They must be drawn only to be erased because that way, we can use the best of both worlds. In other words, we can fully enjoy the uniqueness of our own and foreign culture, but at the same time respect individual specificities and shared values. Welcome to Rijeka, the oasis of normality in an abnormal context. Enjoy your stay here because that is how history is made. Source: Rijeka’s Bid Book for the Title of European Capital of Culture